Isn’t this just a gorgeous quote from Donal Ryan? I think it’s wonderful. And absolutely spot on.
“Why do you think Ireland produces such great writers?
Here’s my theory. Our country was taken from us and a foreign language was forced upon us. Irish is a glorious language of stories, hyperbole and outright lies. “Tá ocras an domhain orm!” Not “I’m very hungry,” but “The hunger of the world is on me.” The cells of our bodies are Gaelic, and we twisted and corrupted and broke the English language apart, to fit our being, to rest comfortably on our tongues. We spoke a half-language of stories and plámás and exaggeration because we were forever in fear, under the cosh, trying to hoodwink the invader, the lord of the manor, the magistrate, the redcoat, the big man who could crush us. Our most powerful weapon was language, and we revelled in it, and we used it to devastating effect. Stories were our hope and our salvation. And if that all sounds a bit precious, the core of it is, we’re great craic, and we love an old story. ”
http://irishamerica.com/2016/10/what-are-you-like-author-donal-ryan/
